Profiles

PROFILES

KENNETH M. GREENSTEIN
Attorney at Law, Partner*protected email*

Ken Greenstein is an attorney who co-founded Greenstein and McDonald in 2001, a law partnership in San Francisco. He is in his 18th year as an attorney and he has been assisting Bay Area tenants for more than 20 years. In 2004, he was the lead counsel on the largest tenant settlement in Bay Area history in the amount of $3,825,000 and he has been instrumental in many of the largest verdicts and settlements attained by Greenstein and McDonald. Prior to becoming an attorney, he worked as a paralegal for many years, including managing the Oakland Eviction Defense Center for nearly two years.

Mr. Greenstein graduated with a B.A. from UC Santa Barbara in 1987 and was a national political organizer out of Washington D.C. in the late 1980s. In 2005 he graduated from New College School of Law.

He has worked on social justice, environmental and human rights issues for more than 30 years. Mr. Greenstein is currently on the on the Board of Directors of two international NGOs, Amazon Watch and International Rivers and another NGO, Creative Catalysts. He has worked for Greenpeace and several other non-profits. He was also on the Board of Directors of the Bay Area Chapter of the National Lawyers Guild for 4 years, and is also on the advisory board to another international NGO, the Accountability Counsel.

STEVEN J. McDONALD
Attorney at Law, Partner*protected email*

Steven J. McDonald has been in private practice as an attorney specializing in tenant rights since 1995. He has time and again successfully defended tenants in unlawful detainer evictions and prosecuted wrongful eviction actions against landlords as well as actions for habitability and defective conditions, retaliation, nuisance, and harassment. He brings experience, aggressiveness, creativity and reputation to his practice of law.

Mr. McDonald along with his law partners have secured some of the largest awards at trial and settlement in Bay Area history. He has also been successful in the appellate courts.

Mr. McDonald’s background includes working for civil rights at the ACLU and for environmental justice at Communities For A Better Environment during law school. He also has a background in the Arts and Humanities with Bachelor of Arts Degree and Master of Arts Degree from San Francisco State University as well as years of experience in the construction field.

JAYMEE FAITH CADIZ SAGISI
Attorney at Law*protected email*

Jaymee Faith Cadiz Sagisi, Esq. has been a part of Greenstein and McDonald since 2005. Her practice focuses on litigation in the area of landlord-tenant disputes, representing only tenants. Ms. Sagisi has successfully represented tenants in a wide variety of cases, including those involving wrongful evictions, habitability defects, harassment, housing discrimination, and nuisances. During law school, Ms. Sagisi was a N.Y. Public Interest fellow, taught as a student teacher for a program of the N.Y. Civil Rights Coalition, and participated in the Housing Clinic for Legal Aid. Prior to attending law school, she double majored in Political Science and Asian American Studies and served as the President of the student body at S.F. State University.

Ms. Sagisi has been involved in various organizations such as the Veterans Equity Center and Coleman Advocates for Children and Youth which are dedicated to correcting the injustices affecting seniors, youth and students, women, immigrants and low income families. Ms. Sagisi has championed many campaigns and programs geared at building communities and fighting for change, particularly her recent work to help establish the Bill Sorro Housing Program (BiSHoP) which provides free legal and social services related to housing for low income families.

ARIEL GERSHON
Attorney at Law*protected email*

Ari Gershon has been a practicing attorney since 2006. A dedicated advocate for tenants’ rights, he focuses on tenant cases at Greenstein & McDonald, aggressively litigating affirmative civil lawsuits against landlords, and other tenant matters. He has defended tenants facing eviction in the San Francisco Court, and his tireless efforts in private practice as well as pro-bono volunteer work regularly achieves excellent results for tenants in need of habitability repairs and tenants who have suffered harassment and abuse at their homes.

Prior to becoming an attorney, Mr. Gershon counseled and represented tenants while a student at Golden Gate University School of Law, appearing in a variety of administrative hearings and advocating through the Tenderloin Housing Clinic Law Office, where he worked as an apprentice.

Prior to law school, Mr. Gershon worked as a technology professional specializing on internet application development, programming and design – and at times on progressive political and labor campaigns.

KELLI SHIELDS
Attorney at Law*protected email*

Kelli Shields has been a practicing attorney since 2011, and joined the Greenstein & McDonald team in 2012. Her practice focuses on litigating landlord-tenant disputes, solely representing tenants. Ms. Shields has successfully represented tenants in unlawful detainer actions and in numerous affirmative civil lawsuits including actions for wrongful eviction, habitability defects, retaliation, harassment, and nuisance.

Ms. Shields’ background includes working on a variety of social and environmental justice issues. During law school, Ms. Shields was a clinician at the Environmental Law and Justice Clinic. After law school she joined Tenants Together’s legal team, where she was an advocate for renters’ rights throughout California.

Prior to becoming an attorney, Ms. Shields was a community organizer and office manager at the Center for Biological Diversity. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Environmental Geography from the University of Oklahoma, and a law degree from Golden Gate University School of Law with a Certificate of Specialization in Environmental Law with Distinction.